ISLAMABAD:A parliamentary committee on Monday passed Pakistan General Cosmetics Bill, 2026,designed to bring the domestic cosmetics market in line with international safety and hygiene metrics.
The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology in its meeting held in Parliament Housethoroughly deliberated on clauses of the Bill and passed it.
This legislative step will directly benefit the public by mandating transparent ingredient labelling, preventing deceptive marketing, and ensuring that all personal care items sold in the market are scientifically vetted for humanuse.Senator Kamil Ali Agha chaired the meeting.
The bill had been referred back by the House during its sitting on October 14, 2026, along with amendments moved by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla. During the proceedings, the Committee reviewed all the Sections one by one.
The Secretary Science and Technology briefed the Committee that, pursuant to earlier directions, consultations were held with key stakeholders to incorporate their point of view. The Chairman appreciated the participating stakeholders, including representatives from the Pakistan Cosmetic Manufacturers Association.
Addressing the regulatory aspects, the Chairman inquired about the total number of companies and sought clarification regarding their registration status with the Directorate General of Trade Organizations (DGTO), FBR, SECP, and Sales Tax departments.
It was highlighted that active participation of registered industry representatives is essential to ensure that genuine feedback and amendments are reflected in the legislative process. The Committee agreed that creating associations across different regions should be straightforward, emphasizing that legislative frameworks must avoid creating cumbersome restrictions or operational hurdles for emerging businesses.
The Chairman examined the ratio between raw material imports utilized for local manufacturing and direct imports of finished cosmetic goods.
The Committee meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Defence Production as Special Invitee, Minister for Science and Technology, Senators Husna Bano and Dr Afnan Ullah Khan, other senior officials. Law Division legal team was also there to assist the committee.
Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2026
